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NVAP Reference Guide: Disease

Surveillance

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NVAP Reference Guide: Table of Contents

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Preface

Introduction

Control and Eradication

Brucellosis

Johne’s Disease

Pseudorabies (PRV)

Tuberculosis

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

Scrapie

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

Poultry
National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)

Avian Influenza (AI)

Exotic Newcastle disease (END)

Equine Disease

Aquatic Animal

Aquatic Animal National Health Plan

Aquatic Animal Health Activities

Animal Health Emergency Management

Animal Health Emergency Management

Emergency Response Structure

National Response Framework (NRF)

National Incident Management System (NIMS)

National Animal Health Emergency Management System (NAHEMS)

Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Plan (FAD PReP)

FAD Recognition and Initial Response

National Animal Health Emergency Response Corps (NAHERC)

Notifiable Diseases and Conditions

WOAH and International Standards

Cleaning and Disinfection

Importance of Cleaning & Disinfection

Cleaning

Disinfection

Regulation of Disinfectants

Safety

Disease Surveillance

Laboratory Submissions

Animal Movement

Interstate Regulations

Interstate Movement of Cattle, Horses, Swine, Sheep and Goats

Issuing Interstate Animal Movement Documents

International Animal Movement

Issuing International Health Certificates (IHCs) for Live Animal Movement

Common Problems Observed on Certificates for Live Animal Movement
Animal Identification 

Animal Identification

Cattle Identification

Swine Identification

Equine Identification

Sheep and Goat Identification

Fowl Identification

Compliance and Regulations

Appendix

A: 9 CFR PARTS 160, 161, and 162

B: APHIS VS District Offices

C: State Animal Health Officials

D: Forms

E: Other Organizational Information with Contact Points

F: Web Sites

G: Equine Teeth and Aging

In all the following surveillance activities, veterinary practitioners play a key role.

Veterinarians in the field are often the first line of defense against the incursion of a

disease. Because the veterinary practitioner is usually the primary contact person

with the owners of livestock or pets, it is imperative that he or she do all that is

possible to educate owners, to be aware of unusual clinical signs, to be aware of

current disease outbreaks or threats, and to immediately report possible diseases of

concern to both Federal and State Animal Health Officials.

9 CFR Part 161.4(f) requires an accredited veterinarian to immediately report to the

Veterinarian-in-Charge and the State Animal Health Official all diagnosed or

suspected cases of a communicable animal disease for which APHIS has a control or

eradication program in 9 CFR Chapter I, and all diagnosed or suspected cases of any

animal disease not known to exist in the United States as provide by Part 71.3(b) of

this chapter. 

The classic action plan for disease control and eradication is as follows:
1. Find—surveillance;

2. Contain—prevention of spread from infected herds; and

3. Eradicate—elimination of the disease.

In a disease eradication program, it is critically important to recognize that an

effective surveillance system is a critical first step that must be in place to be

successful. It is imperative to (1) be able to find the disease in order to eliminate it,

and (2) find the disease before it has had a chance to spread. If the disease can be

identified and eliminated before   it has had a chance to spread, eradication can be

achieved. 

The mission of APHIS –VS is to protect and improve the health, quality, and

marketability of our Nation’s animals, animal products, and veterinary biologics by

preventing, controlling, or eliminating animal diseases and monitoring and

promoting animal health and productivity. To accomplish this, it is critical to be able

to detect foreign animal diseases  and emerging domestic diseases, monitor disease

trends and threats in the United States and other countries, detect risk, evaluate

disease control and eradication programs, and provide adequate animal health

information. Animal health surveillance plays a key role in accomplishing these

goals. 

The National Animal Health Surveillance System (NAHSS) is a comprehensive,

integrated, coordinated system created to detect events and trends related to

animal health for all stakeholders involved in public, animal, and environmental

health. Comprehensive and Integrated Surveillance (CIS) is an approach to

surveillance within the NAHSS that enables VS to have a surveillance system that

provides a dynamic knowledge base for actions designed to reduce morbidity,

mortality, and economic losses while improving animal health, productivity,

marketability, and product safety in an efficient an integrated way. Such a system is

the foundation for animal health, public health, food safety, and environmental

health.

In addition to the obvious role surveillance plays in monitoring endemic diseases and

providing actionable information for disease eradication programs (e.g., for

brucellosis, tuberculosis, and others), there are a several other significant

justifications for animal health surveillance. These include the rapid detection of

emerging animal and public health issues and accidentally or intentionally

introduced foreign animal disease agents. Animal health surveillance also provides
support for the marketability of animals and animal products by demonstrating

quality and safety attributes of products through quality assurance and certification

programs and by providing scientifically sound evidence of regional prevalence for

trade-significant diseases.

Historically, animal health surveillance systems in the United States have been

designed primarily for specific disease control or eradication programs. Now,

however, working in collaboration with State and industry partners, APHIS is moving

toward an organizational and informational infrastructure that supports baseline

animal health monitoring and “grows” a dynamic knowledge base for actions

designed to reduce morbidity, mortality, and economic losses while improving

animal health, productivity, marketability, and product safety. APHIS –VS is focusing

on several key areas during the enhancement of current national animal health

surveillance efforts: 

Enhancement of surveillance for current program diseases,

Rapid detection of emerging and foreign animal diseases,

Surveillance for diseases affecting marketability or economics of industry,

Surveillance based on risk of disease,

Monitoring of animal health trends, and

Ability to do focused surveillance as needed. 

In closing this chapter, we cannot overemphasize the key role veterinary

practitioners play in national disease surveillance efforts. The veterinarian in the

field is the critical first line of defense against an emerging or foreign animal disease

incursion.